Darlington, SC (WLTX) --- Steve Addington has been a crew chief for three of NASCAR's biggest names - Kyle and Kurt Busch, and for the previous two seasons, he worked with Tony Stewart.

In 2012, Stewart finished ninth in the standings and was 11th in the 2013 standings before he broke his leg in a sprint car crash in August.

Addington's final tally saw him win four races with the 14 team but after last season, he was told his services were no longer needed.

But it didn't take long for Addington to find his next job and it takes him back to his hometown.

Addington is the crew chief and competition director for H Scott Motorsports which is the team formerly known as Phoenix Racing.

Harry Scott, Jr. bought the team from James Finch and with the team still based in the upstate, Addington finds himself commuting during the week from Charlotte to Spartanburg. But it's a drive he doesn't mind. He works with a team that clearly wants his expertise as a crew chief and it gives Addington a chance to run things his way.

The budget may be smaller than what he is used to but Addington feels the team is capable of contending. The No. 51 Chevrolet receives technical support from Hendrick Motorsports and with a group of loyal sponsors on board, Addington says he is having fun working for an organization that fits into that traditional underdog role.

But fun aside, Addington's job is to make the 51 team competitive and each week, he says rookie driver Justin Allgaier is improving, which should lead to consistent runs in top 20 and better down the road.

Steve Addington has been a crew chief on the Sprint Cup level since 2005.(Photo: WLTX)